An Interdisciplinary Arts & Literature Group

Category Archives: Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL)

Stephen Brennan is a genre fiction writer favoring horror in the novella/short novel format. He has published two titles: ‘Big John Irons Vol 1: No Heroes‘ (Pulp/Noir/Dieselpunk 2017) and ‘The Darkness Between‘ (Horror 2012). He began to write just over five years back upon realizing that the stories in his head were ‘genuinely worth something’, and he began work on an ‘ambitious full length novel’ that may be called a ‘supernatural romance’ very similar to Meet-Joe-Black in tone; it is still a work in progress while Stephen has gone on to write ‘shorter works that have increased in length over time’. Stephen’s favorite writer is his name-sake Stephen King about whom he says: ‘I find his blend of modern day darkness and fantasy truly inspiring. It’s something I frequently try to emulate.’ A member of the New West Writers group, he participates in monthly critique sessions with other writers. His upcoming title is called ‘Everything Gets Out Eventually‘ (Horror), and it’ll be out soon.

Teresa KleinTeresa Klein is a writer, dreamer and a community leader. Her investigative journey with her long-term dream group inspired the writing of a collaborative book relating the effects of their dream work on their lives. Her exploration prompted a pilgrimage that began in 2011. This pilgrimage re-set the definition of home to reach far beyond any set place and embraced a universal sense of family. Her encounters with life through this time deepened her relationship with earth-based wisdom and established a trusting relationship with her intuitive knowing. Her pilgrimage continues as she creates and becomes involved with overseeing a Community Garden/Medicine Wheel in Newton, an area of Surrey that has experienced trauma, with a visible presence of homelessness and substance abuse issues. Beginning its second growing season, despite its challenges it has become a centre for community engagement bridging generational, cultural and socio economic diversity to create a warm and welcoming space.theplot.ca

Manolis was shortlisted for the Greek National Literary Awards. His articles, poems and short stories in both Greek and English have appeared in books, magazines and newspapers in Canada, United States, Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Australia, and Greece. His poetry has been translated into Spanish, Romanian, Swedish, Portuguese, German, Hungarian, Urdu and Punjabi. A Member of the League of Canadian Poets and the Federation of BC Writers, Manolis is a Literary Advisor to Surrey Muse; and, he has served as the Vice-President of Royal City Literary and Arts Society (RCLAS) in New Westminster. He was recently appointed an honorary instructor and fellow of the International Arts Academy, and awarded a Masters for the Arts in Literature. Manolis runs Libros Libertad, an unorthodox and independent publishing company, in White Rock BC.manolisaligizakis.com

Yvette Dudley-NeumanYvette Dudley-Neuman is committed to exhibiting new and established works that encourage opportunities for Canadian artists to share and hone their talents. As an award winning Director and Producer, Yvette has facilitated over forty productions. Formally trained at the University of Calgary (B.F.A. & B.Ed.), Yvette studied with Keith Johnstone (Theatre Sports), and then spent a year travelling the world with the cast of Up with People. As a long form improviser Yvette currently portrays psych patients for Psych Nursing students, and she also enjoyed performing for three years in Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding. Her first passion is performing and selected credits include: The F Words, Watermelon Girls & Vagina Monologues.TV & film credits include: VAN HELSING, The Hollow Child, and Edna Brown. Yvette writes to channel her creative fervor between acting gigs. Writing Credits: two short films (Edna Brown, Laundry Day), twenty nine Historical Re-enactment scripts, and a full length play, Christmas Crackers. Her script, THE F WORDS won Honourable Mention in Theatre BC’s 2014 Playwriting Competition and it garnered FOUR STAR reviews. In the Edmonton and Vancouver Fringe Festivals along with THE FREE TABLE web series, Yvette is writing a play entitled Titillations.tteeVy.com

Paul StaceyPaul Stacey has just published a book titled ‘Made With Creative Commons’. Part analysis, part handbook, part collection of case studies, it is a guide to sharing knowledge and creativity with the world, and sustaining your operation while you do. Paul has lived in South Surrey / White Rock since 1991. Over his years here he has worked on developing and deploying air traffic control systems around the world, helped create what was originally the Technical University of BC now SFU Surrey, and he has helped find, and lead, open education and online learning initiatives for BC’s universities and colleges at BCcampus. Paul holds four degrees including an MEd in Adult Learning and Global Change. For the past 5 years Paul has been working for Creative Commons helping governments, organizations, and businesses around the world adopt open policy business models and practices. Paul is an advocate for the commons as a means of maximizing citizen participation in culture and creating a more equitable and sustainable economy.pstacey@creativecommons.org

Virginia GillespieVirginia is a writer, arts advocate and the Artistic Director of VG PlayRoom, a multi-disciplinary arts incubator with a Word Studio to develop projects and events in the Verbal Arts. She is a co-founder, co-organizer and the host of Word Arts LIVE! series.vgplayroom.com

Word-Arts LIVE! is a collaboration between Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL) and VG PlayRoom. We are grateful to the City of Surrey for the 2017 Cultural Project Grant for Word-Arts events, forums and training. Alexandra Neighbourhood House is home base and a strong supporter.

Surrey Muse At Large is commencing it’s first session in January, with regular programming from February to June 2017, in partnership with Virginia Gillespie’s VG Playroom at Alexandra Neighbourhood House.

Surrey Muse At Large is an attempt to take a shorter form of Surrey Muse programming out of libraries and into communities that may not be able to otherwise access it. The concept is two-fold: to provide an interdisciplinary art and literature presentation stage with a discussion component to the local community of writers, readers and performers; and, to provide it long enough so that the possibility of emerging localized presentation groups becomes stronger. As well, the concept benefits presenting poets, authors, artists and performers by opening new audiences and communities to their work.

SMAL at Camp Alexandra will be of two hour duration, with shorter presentation and discussion time slots but ample Open Mic. We’ll be engaged at the location from November, and before beginning regular SMAL programming in February, we’ll launch a couple of poetry books by local authors in January, introduce SMAL, and get input from the participants. At the end of the June gathering, the local group may decide to continue in their favored ways.

We are privileged to be working with Virginia Gillespie, who, among other things, is passionate about combining word, sound and image- she had been working on different projects to bring various forms and expressions together, and having SMAL at Camp A is a step in her continuing journey. Through VG PlayRoom, Virginia offers a larger vision in community building and organizing, of which, this year, SMAL is a part. Surrey Muse has supported VG PlayRoom to apply for a cultural grant from City of Surrey to help engage Surrey’s diverse arts communities. As well, we share Virginia’s desire to re-vitalize the Camp A community by generating regular art and literary activities at that historic location.

SMAL is one of the two projects that Surrey Muse had initiated in 2016 to celebrate our Fifth Anniversary this month. The other project was the July-October trial run of Surrey Muse Writers to determine if there was need for a drop-in critique group for writers in Surrey. Surrey Muse Writers will continue once-a-month on regular basis from Spring 2017.

Fauzia is a novelist, poet, blogger and an activist. She has published two novels and a poetry collection. Her novel Skeena was published in English (Libros Libertad, 2011) and Punjabi (Sanjh Publications, 2007). The Punjabi edition of Skeena has become Pakistan’s most sold Punjabi novel. Her second novel The Adventures of SahebaN: Biography of a Relentless Warrior was launched in 2016. She has printed two chapbooks of her poems, Holier Than Life (Purple Poppy Press, 2013) and Passion Fruit/Tahnget Phal (Uddari Books 2011). Fauzia writes in Punjabi, English and Urdu. She is a co-founder and the coordinator of Surrey Muse, and, the project manager of Surrey Muse At Large (SMAL) and Surrey Muse Writers. Fauzia is happy to have received WIN Canada’s Distinguished Novelist & Poet award in 2012, and to have declined Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.

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Thoughts

'It was a wonderful evening: at least two more lonesome Surrey writers have found a new home, and a few more of us outlanders a place to return to.

I really appreciate the careful structure of the event, alternating the visiting time with times of performance, so that all needs are met with decorum-- all performers have an attentive audience, everyone can eat and speak and connect, and community develops almost effortlessly. The blog and the truly awesome posters a part of the whole-- really well organized and top-notch!

My thanks for all the forethought and talent that went into the planning, as well as the way it all came together last night-- thank you to our mc for keeping us rolling along.